Cuvee Delphine | De Struise Brouwers

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Notes / Commercial Description:
This beer takes its name from Delphine Boël, the unlawful daughter of King Albert II. She has struggled for acknowledgment in both her professional and private lives, so we decided she deserves a tribute fit for a princess. Cuvée Delphine is our Black Albert, carefully matured on Four Roses bourbon barrels for 12 months. Mrs. Boël has kindly allowed us to use her artwork for its label, which speaks for itself.

In a sea of sickly sweet and heavy bourbon aged stouts, we wanted Cuvée Delphine to shine brightly as a pinnacle of balance and restraint. Only with a base beer as potent as Black Albert could we manage to make the aging process shine. Notes of oak and slight vanilla pair extraordinarily well with the familiar coffee and brown sugar notes from the Black Albert. The subdued alcohol ties it all together in a lush, mellow experience. Cuvée Delphine will set you free.

Reviews by beerdrifter:

Picked this up at the beer store at the De Molen Brewery. Deep black pour with two fingers of tan head with decent retention and nice lacing. The barrel aging definitely comes through in the nose, with a really woody, almost vinous character, along with hints of dark chocolate, vanilla, maple syrup and tobacco. The taste is much the same, but even better! Don't think I've ever had a beer that has retained so much from the barrel aging. Tons of wood with really nice chocolate notes, and a subtle hint of bourbon and vanilla. As it warms, it really opens up. Very little carbonation, but smooth as silk with absolutely no evidence that this is a 13% ABV beer. I could have easily drank another. What an incredible beer! Going on a beer run in Belgium this weekend, and hope I can find some more!

More User Reviews:

APPEARANCE: Pours a small half finger medium looking deep tan head with good retention. Black with medium carbonation evident. The head retains surprisingly well, and slowly fades to a nice wisp and a thick ring around the edges. The wisp and ring remain for the entire ride but leave no lacing down the sides. Looks great, but just needs a little lacing to stick.

SMELL: Roasted malts, dark fruits and berries, alongside some black licorice. Some hints of bourbon from the barrel aging, but it is subtle and very complimentary. A very nice nose that works well together.

TASTE: Much like the above. Roasted and charred malts with some dark fruits up front. Black licorice and spicy yeast through the middle into a spicy alcohol finish. Some nice subtle hints of bourbon that mesh well with the entire brew. Ends with a strong and long lasting aftertaste of bitter hops, chocolate and coffee, which weren't evident in the nose, and some nice bourbon notes. Just great.

PALATE: Medium body, though a little light on the palate. Creamy, goes down smooth and finishes with a touch of dryness on the palate. Could use a little more weight I think.

OVERALL: A great barrel aged RIS. Black Albert is good as it is, but the barrel aging has added a new dimension to an already great beer. Unlike some other bourbon barrel aged stouts, the whisky notes don't overwhelm and dominate the brew. The barrels have left subtle notes here and there that lend character to the brew, working together with the already superb taste profile that is Black Albert. One to check out if you can.

A: Almost black with a small pale beige head that leaves a thin lid of lacings.

S: Mellow roasted malts and chocolate blend nicely with tart fruity aromas and a somewhat funky oak character. The oak is subtle, but still very noticeable. Not a lot of bourbon though.

T: Very good. Surprisingly tart with a prominent barrel character. Roasted and sweet malts, cherry-like fruits and chocolate. A mild funky note. Not a whole lot of bourbon in the taste either, except for in the finish where it comes through as sweetish and somewhat fruity alcohol. The finish is somewhat bitter with notes of iron, wood and licorice.

M: Full bodied, quite a lot of carbonation, much more than most beers of this strength.

D: I really liked this one. The fruity tartness adds a beautiful edge to it and the barrel character has that slightly odd Belgian feel over it. To me, putting Black Albert in barrels turned out to be a great idea.

25cl bottle. Pours into my glass dark as night black with a two finger head of creamy tan foam. Lots of chocolate on the nose with wood and some subtle, mellow bourbon accents. There is a quiet and unassuming balance here. Lots of tannins with a touch of caramel as well.

First sip brings smooth dark malts augmented by a big wash of chocolate flavors. Woody tannins meet with a creamy caramel accents. Smooth bourbon weaves in and brings a touch of sweetness and vanilla. The smoothness of the Four Roses barrel really shines through here. Deceptively smooth and mellow.

Mouthfeel is surprisingly on the lighter side with mellow carbonation. Akin to the Black Albert this is a tricky beer as it's powerful but not heavy like a normal bourbon aged stout. This one will creep up on you with a left hook and leave you on the mat. Happy to be able to share this bottle with autumnaldave as it packs quite a punch. Cheers to De Struise for this one.

Dated 09/2014. Pours black with a large-sized brown pillowy head. Smells of bourbon, coffee, roasted malts, and cocoa. Taste follows with heavy coffee/bourbon with some roasted malts/cocoa; somewhat yeasty. Medium-low body and high carbonation. Great mouthfeel once some of the carbonation is knocked out. Overall, this is a great BA RIS; lots of coffee flavor and balance, but the carbonation is high for the style.

Review from memory - pours thick, creamy and pitch black, with a fine espresso head. Smells of dark fruits and chocolate, roasted malts and a bit of caramel. Taste follows the same notes, with chocolate, a bit of coffee and roasted malts and faint vanilla notes from the barrel ageing. Smooth mouthfeel.

Picked up a couple 33 cl bottles at the De Struise bottle shop in Bruges. Pricey at $5.50 Euro.

A-Poured into a snifter this beer comes out of the bottle thick with lots of yeast. A thin dark beige head that breaks down into a skim layer and a ringing around the glass. You can see a lot of the suspended yeast in this brew. Otherwise very black and opaque.

S-Cold the aroma is big roasted malt with some hints of Belgian yeast. Some alcohol aroma. As it warms more roasted aroma and more alcohol is evident but not overpowering. Some fruity yeast notes as well.

T-First sip is big roasted dark malts upfront with a warming finish. Notes of dark chocolate, coffee and a bit fruity. A bit like booze soaked chocolate covered cherries if such a thing existed.

M-A bit sticky and full bodied yet very smooth and easy to drink. Moderate carbonation for the style.

O-Not as bourbon boozy forward as a lot of the American BB RIS-which is nice. Real easy to drink for a BB RIS @ 13% ABV. I like the fruity character the yeast brings into the equation which blends well with the big roasted malt bill. Perfect dessert beer.

Very dark brown, nearly black in color, but with dark ruby and crimson edges. There's a low amount of visible carbonation that leaves the glass slightly oily and shiny with stick.

Typical aromas of big, imperial stouts, with roast, dark fruits, and baker's chocolate, along with a sharp note of yeast, and just a hint of wood. There's not a lot of barrel character, as the yeast and the stout itself seem dominant.

The flavor is also quite nice, deceptively complex, with the Belgian yeast straight complementing the dark fruit and roast notes. The alcohol is well hidden.

Medium to full bodied with low carbonation.

Good, but I was hoping for more, as is the case with most De Struise stouts.

25cl bottle courtesy of eyebrews! I love Black Albert, so this bottle has been long awaited.

Pours a delicate black with foamy, white head that yields into a thin rim. Picture perfect!

Big time chocolate with smoothing bourbon. There is slight toffee here as well. A very inviting aroma that is so complex, my words do this no justice.

Chocolate malt with warming bourbon sip upon glorious sip. Nice and smooth with parts vanilla and tannins. Like Albert, this is so unique, I'm having a hard time describing everything I taste. Amazing!

The mouthfeel is a little light with excellent carbonation. The alcohol is making its presence known, but by all means, I'm glad to have this bottle all to myself. Just outstanding!